Alpha and Omega: Montana Pack go hunting
by AlphaOmega2013
Summary: The full moon is nearly out and Bran organises a hunt for the night. Anna is feeling particularly restless. During the hunt, Anna encounters a mysterious stranger when she strays too far from the pack...
1. Chapter 1

All characters and world belongs to author Patricia Briggs. I'm writing a series of short passages from interludes in her Alpha and Omega novels. While I'm doing this just for fun, criticism is welcome if you think I'm getting any of the Characters or storyline wrong.

This story occurs after the first novel but before the second. Bran is getting his Montana Pack together for a big hunt in the woods at dusk of the night of the full moon. Anna encounters a surprise visitor when she strays too far from the rest of the pack.

Charles is woken by a soft nudge at his cheeks and Anna's scent as her hair falls softly across his face. He breathes in deeply, inhaling the unique smell of Anna, a combination of the Montana woodlands, Charles, the shampoo she uses which is fruity and spicy at the same time and the smell of _her. _His little miracle, who saved him from years of loneliness.

Anna nudged him again and he peered down at her. In the early mornings grey light that fell through the curtains he could see her wolf's pale blue eyes peeking through under her eyelids. It looked like his little wolf had woken up earlier than Anna this morning and wanted to wake him up too.

"Hey there, little trouble maker" Charles' said, voice still deep with sleep and rumbling them both as she now lay on top of him. When had she moved from his side? Charles guessed he hadn't noticed, let his guard down with her. His little miracle.

Charles circled his arms around her and pulled her close to his chest. She allowed this only momentarily before wriggling free and sitting upright on his chest, his arms pinned under her knees. She smiled down at him and tilted her head to the side, a wolf-like gesture and invitation to play. Anna's wolf couldn't speak when in charge of her human form so he had to read her body language closely.

Charles wiggled his hips pathetically and said finally, "you're too strong for me! You've got me trapped and helpless" while grinning up at her. Anna's wolf rolled her eyes impatiently- a very human gesture, and dug her knees into his arms painfully hard and tried again to goad him. This time he decided to play. He flexed his arms up and threw her off balance, quickly he threw her off him and managed to pin her arms gently above her head. She wiggled and squirmed under him before finally laying still and lifting her chin at him, which he kissed tenderly, releasing her arms as well.

Charles always had to be careful when Anna's wolf wanted to play. While her wolf had no fear of him, her human side had been brutalized and raped by her previous pack, so he always had to make sure she didn't go into a panic, didn't push her human side too far while still pleasing her wolf. Apparently not a problem this morning. Anna's wolf was firmly in charge at the moment, and he could feel through their mate bond that Anna was still blissfully asleep and unaware of her wolf's antics. Charles decided to get them both up and moving before things went too far.

He stood up from the bed, pulling Anna gently with him and gave her another kiss on her nose.

"Come on she-wolf, lets have some breakfast at least, if you insist on waking me up" and he walked out to the kitchen, Anna trailing behind him. Charles started heating up the pan on the stove deciding on a big breakfast this morning. He glanced over at Anna who was sitting naked on the couch and looking at him, still from pale-blue wolf eyes. Charles was slightly concerned, it was unusual for Anna not to take control by now. He reached through his mate bond to find her human half there, wide awake but letting her wolf run the show for now.

Charles relaxed and cracked some eggs over the pan, falling into a cooking routine while Anna watched patiently from the couch. After breakfast was finished he carried two plates loaded with bacon, eggs, bread, tomatoes and mushrooms over to the couch. Charles sat on the couch and looked at Anna. Her wolf must be excited about the hunt tonight, the night of the full moon. It was normal for wolves to get antsy this close to the full moon, and Anna hadn't hunted for a while. Charles tapped Anna on the nose gently and said "It's time for me to speak to your other half now please"

Anna's wolf stared blankly at him for a few seconds, then he noticed her eyes slowly changing from pale blue to warm chocolate brown. Anna grinned at him in a way that made her freckles bunch up together and warmed his heart. "Eat" he said motioning to the plate of food in front of her before digging in to his own mountain of bread. Anna groaned after eating about half of what was on her plate,

"I can't eat any more! You're always force-feeding me. You're going to have a fat wife one day" she said holding her belly, which like all wolves was toned and not at all fat.

Charles looked sternly at her, "one more piece of bread, and then you can go".

Anna grinned again at him, "yessir".

After finishing breakfast Anna got dressed, washed the dishes and did some half-hearted cleaning around the house while Charles worked some of the Pack Finances on his high-tech laptop, which Anna still didn't know how to use. Anna was very wired up today and Charles guessed the hunt tonight would do her good, if she could manage to hold out until then without driving herself insane.

"Why don't you see if Asil needs any help in his greenhouse?" Charles said finally, after Anna had circled the kitchen table for the third time. While Charles wolf didn't like the idea of Anna going over to see Asil- who had made moves on her when he first met her- he knew that he couldn't box Anna in. And Asil knew Anna was his, and had no real intentions on her beyond trying to goad Charles. Asil was clever and would see Anna's frustration and manage to entertain her for a while. "I still have some work to do here but I shouldn't be long- I'll come by when I'm finished" Charles said finally, satisfying Brother Wolf's need to protect Anna by showing up in Asil's territory.

Anna shook her head at him smiling, "Asil will love that..." but bounced out the door regardless, now given something to do. Charles felt a senseless pang of jealously that she was so eager to leave him- and then smiled at the thought that someone could ever make him feel jealous again. His miracle woman.

Anna's feet crunched against the snow as she stepped out of the house and breathed in the cold air scented by pine and woodlands- untainted by pollution and the mix of complicated smells that accompanied any city. Anna could see why Charles and his Da loved this place. Or any of the older wolves in the pack for that matter. But Anna was more apathetic about it than most. She grew up in the city and sometimes missed it. But she was omega, and adaptable. She fit in here just as well as her own city, and could live just about anywhere and feel like a local. That's just the way an omega was. Anna started for the car but stopped when she realized she hadn't grabbed the keys on the way out. Or a warm jacket for that matter. She decided to walk, Asil's wasn't far and she needed to burn off some energy.

Anna had been walking for about 5 minutes when she noticed a man standing quite away from her near some pines on the other side of the icy road. She squinted at him, not trying to hide it based on her assumption that she would know who it was. This town was so small that everybody knew everybody and they all knew her. The man was unfamiliar so she kept walking. Again, another ten minutes went by when she spotted him, still far enough away that it could be a coincidence. Charles had made her paranoid probably, so she shrugged it off. While it was unusual to see strangers in the town it wasn't unheard of. Some truckers stop by for food, as well as hard core hikers out to brave the mountainside. Anna couldn't shake the feeling that he was stalking her though... That she was prey and he a predator. It was stupid, because any wolf would know better than to attack Charles' mate, and no human would stand a chance against her. She tried to shrug away the feeling. Anna was fast approaching Asils house, still thinking of the stranger. She knocked on the door and waited but there was no reply so she headed towards his greenhouse, where he was more often than not.

Anna walked straight into the greenhouse while Asil was still focused on grooming the bright yellow roses in front of him, back to her. She didn't bother announcing herself as she came in because Asil would have heard her approaching from the house, if not the road. The fact that she didn't announce herself could have also been a play for dominance- if it had been anyone but her it probably was. But Omegas just weren't like that, and she felt no need to establish herself or be submissive either. Anna approached Asil while he continued to do his best to ignore her.

"Charles will be coming by to pick me up after he's finished working" Anna said finally, mostly to get a reaction from Asil. And it worked.

Asil turned to her and groaned with his hand over his eyes dramatically as though Charles' coming to his house was worse than the plague.

"Senorita! While you are a pleasant breeze on a hot summers day, must you bring that lumbering ape with you?" he said, looking intently at her as though expecting her to agree with his assessment of Charles.

"Alas, the man follows me wherever I go! To keep unscrupulous men at bay, I think" Anna replied, playing along with Asil's dramatic nature.

"Are you accusing me, sweet omega?" Asil says, eyes lighting up and laughing honestly at Anna's boldness.

"Auribus teneo lupum!" Anna responds earnestly.

"You hold a wolf by the ears?" Asil enquired, translating her (bad) latin phrase.

"Dangerous to hold on, dangerous to let go. Yes, you are an unscrupulous man Asil" Anna said, lying.

Asil wagged his finger at her, "Charles should be teaching you to lie better by now" he says, as though Anna could ever pull off lying to a wolf of his age and experience. Anna paused thoughtfully and said finally, "Fine. You are an unscrupulous wolf, Asil" and they both knew she wasn't lying.

Asil sighed and clutched his heart as though Anna had done great harm to his feelings, but he just as quickly dropped the act and returned to face his flowers.

"So what brings you here today?" He says.

"Boredom? Charles kicked me out of the house" Anna replies.

Asil laughs, "As if Charles would ever willingly part with you. If he could, he would wrap you up and take you with him wherever he went and make sure you never left his side. Any leaving was done due to your own will"

"I'm just feeling restless. Full moon and all. I'm holding out for the hunt tonight" Anna replies, feeling her wolf leap in excitement at the mention of the hunt. "I'm not used to feeling so out of control, the moons pull is unusually strong for me this time." Anna said and shook her head clearing it.

Asil laughed and said to Anna, "The way you are feeling now, so out of control, is the way all dominant wolves feel, all the time. Well, not all the time, not when an omega such as yourself is around to soothe our wolves. It is why having an omega in your pack is such a gift".

Anna thought about it, that the way she was feeling could be a constant thing for most dominant wolves and was glad she was able to relieve some of the tension for them. She decided to move the conversation anyway.

"Have there been any backpackers or climbers staying at the motel lately?" Anna asked, her curiosity again peaked by the stranger she saw. There was only one place to stay in this town and the town was virtually isolated so it would be the only choice for people passing through.

"No, too cold for most climbers at the moment. Too dangerous. That motel is a ghost town. Save for a young wolf in the safety room whose lost some control and had to be put in overnight" Asil replied.

"Maybe I should visit him.." Anna said absently, mind still on the stranger. Her sense of being stalked by him could have been wrong, could have been a side effect of the moons pull. She tried to put it out of her mind. Only a few hours now and the hunt would be on...

This story turned out longer than I expected, got carried away writing the first bit, so the actual hunt will be in part 2 of the story.


	2. Chapter 2

Charles hit the red 'hang up' button on his mobile and stretched back in his chair. Negotiations with the Denver Pack had gone on longer than he intended before finally settling on an agreeable amount that Bran was willing to pay as assistance for the pack complying with the soon 'coming out' of the werewolves. The Denver Pack Alpha even agreed to let them use one of his submissive wolves as a poster boy for the upcoming political propaganda. The young submissive is a fire-fighter who risked his life to save a local family from a house fire. Just the sort Bran needed on his side to convince the public they weren't evil unthinking beings. Charles could tell the Denver Alpha was very apprehensive about one of his submissive's being at Brans beck and call- all good Alphas should be protective of their submissive wolves Charles concluded- but Charles managed to convince him of the safety Bran would offer his wolf should he ever have to make good on his offer. While Charles was trying to convince the Alpha he wished he had Anna there to help him. His Anna was so good with people she could charm the birds out of the trees- he only managed to look scary until people gave in to his will, which was not even close to the same thing.

Thoughts of Anna brought Charles back to the task at hand. Collect Anna from Asil's house. Charles had sent her there so that the old wolf may be able to entertain his Anna until the hunt tonight. Brother Wolf hoped that she hadn't had too much fun without him and didn't enjoy Asil's company as much as his own- Charles wasn't too proud to admit he agreed.

Charles rolled the old car out of the driveway and tried to maintain a safe speed in his rush to return to his Anna. He pulled into the curb a while away form Asil's house. It was a petty move on Charles' part to try and sneak in and surprise Asil in his territory. Charles walked with deliberate quiet towards the greenhouse where he heard voices talking and stepped in. Asil was so preoccupied with Anna that he didn't notice Charles intruding.

"Keeping out of trouble?" Charles announced to Anna, surprising her as well as she turned towards him. Brother wolf smiled smugly when she laid eyes on him and her face lit up in a smile only he could give her. Charles hid his emotion behind a mask of passivity he wore for the sake of Asil, but let his mate bond with Anna convey his happiness at seeing her.

Asil's back twitched in annoyance that he didn't notice Chalres' intrusion, but ignored him more or less. Asil stayed focused on Anna as he said, "So you will be participating tonight then?" to which Anna nodded enthusiastically.

"I will have to watch out for you then" Asil added, snidely implying that Charles wouldn't be able to take care of her in the hunt. Charles suppressed a sub-vocal growl as Anna sighed.

"Stop it both of you, I'm not some helpless girlie who can't take care of herself in her own pack remember? Besides, I'm an omega- the pack are more likely to lay the kill at my feet than attack me arn't they?" said Anna indignantly.

Asil huffed, "Of course they would Anna, apologies for upsetting your she-wolves prowess", and to his credit it only came out with a hint of sarcasm.

Charles meanwhile wondered if he was more worried about the other wolves attacking her or adoring her. So he remained silent.

"You're not participating in the hunt then?" Charles asked Asil, growing tired of the dominance game and deciding to break the silence first.

"Nay. Bran thinks this will test my control too much- and I tend to agree. So he has put me in the position of protector and overseer of the participating wolves- Bran seems to think this will hold my ravenous side at bay as I am more likely to help the trapped or wounded rather than attack. We shall see" Asil says, playing the big bad wolf. Charles knew however that Asil wouldn't agree to the role if he thought his control wasn't up to scratch. For that case, Bran wouldn't give him the role to begin with. If there was a wolf who knew better how to read aggressive dominant wolves other than his Da, Charles hadn't met him.

"Perhaps we can work together in that role then" Charles said smiling toothily at Asil. "Better to have us on the same side, don't you think?"

Asil nodded his head in agreement, adding "This I agree with, but why are you not participating? Your control is much better than mine, and you do not enjoy pain as I am ashamed to admit I do"

Charles shrugged impassively, "the fun will go out of the game if I participate. Too many wolves will be too afraid of upsetting the Marroks assassin I think."

Anna reached out and run a hand along his arm silently. Few knew how much it pained him to have the wolves he protected every day be afraid of him. Samuel suggested he try smiling more- this only made them more afraid. There was a big difference between respect and adherence to your dominant wolf and only obeying orders out of fear and loathing. Anna knew this very well, as she didn't have the need to follow anyone's orders because she was omega. Her old pack who brutalized her she followed out of fear. Bran and Charles she followed out of respect and love.

Asil didn't understand this- could never understand. So Charles didn't explain to him but Asil nodded anyway. "Fair enough young Charles" he says mockingly despite Charles' age being quite impressive, Asil was far beyond the point of competition. Asil was at the point of being so old that it was effecting his control of the wolf inside. While Asil was one of the most dominant wolves around, he was lesser than Charles, a fact that irked him to no end. So he had to resort to antagonising Charles about his relative youth compared to Asil.

"Let's go get ready for the hunt" Anna says enthusiastically, both out of eagerness and to get Charles out of his spiral of thoughts. His Anna was so good with people.

"Charles and I must help Bran set up for the night and must be there early... no participants are allowed to come however" Asil said.

"I will give Charles a ride there and you can change here and meet us there in about an hour, if you like Señorita?"

Anna nodded and gave Charles a kiss on his jaw, which was as far as she could reach on her toes. "I will meet you there then?" she asked Charles.

Charles nodded once in approval, "eat something before you do, Asil should have plenty of food here" he said, subtly implying his dominance over Asil's territory.

Asil frowned but couldn't complain as to do so would deprive Anna of food. Asil could never hurt the Omega in his pack, who not only had all the gifts of an omega wolf, but whose silent compassion and gentleness reminded him so much of his mate who died long ago.

So Charles and Asil instead headed out the door, arguing about who would drive in yet another endless ploy for dominance. Anna rolled her eyes and walked away from the men towards Asil's house.

Anna finished off the toast she cooked- well actually the second lot of toast because the first lot she burnt to a crisp. Anna had never been a good cook and it pained her that Charles was so proficient at it and constantly cooked their meals. I guess that's what happens when you get that old- you become good at everything Anna thought and sighed. Unlike Charles, Anna was exactly as old as she looked and still had many skills to master.

Anna walked into Asil's spacious bathroom and locked the door behind her in order to start the change. Although she was here alone and no one would dare break into the Moor's house she still felt better in here. Especially after the man she saw following her. She shook the paranoia out of her head. Modesty was also an issue she would have to get over- most wolves were quite comfortable being naked around other people. It was an issue that would have to wait though.

Anna began the change still thinking about issues of modesty when she sore she saw a flicker of a face in the ripples of Asil's bathroom window. Anna wanted to focus on this but the change had already begun and swept her up in its course as she felt bones pop in and out of place and fur sprout across her skin. The change went much quicker than usual which Anna attributed to the full moons pull, but she still felt shakey and painful afterwards. She lay on the cool tiles for a minute feeling sorry for herself before she came to her senses and realised that although she probably imagined the face peering in at her, she should still investigate it.

After some awkward minutes of Anna fumbling to unlock the bathroom door and contemplating changing back to human form again she finally got the door open and trudged through the house outside in the snow. She walked around to the outside of the bathroom window and lay her nose on the ground where the intruder would have been standing. It took her a while to pick up the scent, partly because the snow fall had covered it and partly because she still wasn't as good as most wolves at sorting out her scents. She had just started wishing that Charles was there who could have immediately picked it up when she got a hint of the intruders scent.

It smelt like city- and strange werewolf. That the intruder was werewolf didn't bother Anna as most of the people in the town were or were partnered with wolves. But the scent wasn't like any other wolf in town, and it was definitely not from around here. The wolf smelt like a busting city, and he also smelled of a spicy cologne he wore and some kind of animal- a cat, which was unusual for a wolf to have a pet cat as they tended not to like us at all. Anna tried to partner up the scent with any of the wolves around town but couldn't even come close to the scent she was picking up. Unable to do any more about the issue, Anna resolved to let Charles know about the intruder when she reached him- after the hunt if necessary. With the issue resolved in her mind, Anna sprinted away towards the meeting area of the hunt, snow flicking up around her paws and tongue lolling out in puppy-like enthusiasm.

Charles could feel Anna approaching through his mate bond with her, child-like excitement and all. He turned in time to see her racing around a bend of trees that signalled the starting point of the meeting place. If there was ever a werewolf that could be described as 'cute' it could only be Anna at that moment. Her small black form raced with a dogs enthusiasm for chasing a ball where she finally slumped at Charles' feet, huffing before the race had even really started.

Anna had showed up early and so far there was only a small gathering of wolves, including Charles, his Da, Asil, Gareth and Lucas. Charles, Bran and Asil were all very dominant wolves in the pack while Gareth and Lucas were both submissive wolves who were not permitted to partake in the hunt for their own safety. While Bran had initially protested in Anna herself partaking in the hunt she managed to argue that she was not submissive and therefore exempt from the rule. While Charles was worried about her he still spoke on her behalf- and she felt all the more strongly for him for it.

Gareth and Lucas both gave Anna a warm smile seeing her slumped at Charles' feet and approached the couple. While most lesser dominant wolves were afraid of Charles, the submissive wolves were a lot more comfortable around him- so much so that Gareth gave Anna a friendly pat on the head without Charles feeling territorial.

"The 'prey' has been marked and been given a three hour advantage. Enough to make it interesting", Lucas stated matter-of-factly at Charles.

"Plus a couple of the smaller rabb- err I mean 'targets' have been given false scents. Should make it even more interesting" Gareth added. Anna didn't miss his slip of tongue- wild rabbits adapted to the cold weather were given the scent of their hunt in order to spread it and throw the wolves off track. She figured that she was at a disadvantage anyway, having not as much experience as the other wolves in tracking scents, therefore it didn't matter so much if the competition were tipped slightly in her favour. She was unlikely to win anyway.

The group waited in silent patience for the rest of the pack to arrive. By the time everyone had arrived the large meeting area seemed cramped with wolves- although there was actually plenty of room, most dominant wolves seemed to take up more space than they physically do. Bran sent a wave of his power throughout the enclosed space to silence everyone and to get focus on him and he climbed effortlessly on top of a natural rock rising in the clearance, still in human form.

Bran stood nonchalantly as he made his customary speech,

"This hunt has been authorised by myself as pack leader and Marrok of our kind. Therefore all participants will adhere to my rules and regulations. Firstly, this hunt is limited to dominant wolves only- or as was brought to my attention, Omegas." At this he gave a glance to Anna who yipped and lolled her tongue out to one side.

Bran tried to stifle a laugh as he continued,

"Secondly, this is a hunt for 'fun' as they say. By that we mean, no killing. Certainly fighting, if the other person permits it and the fight is of importance. But if the other person is unwilling at any point the antagoniser must RELENT. This is very important. We are not here to kill our brethren. In fact, any fighting done this night will NOT effect pack hierarchy tomorrow- and any kills or deadly harm inflicted by any of you will be swiftly and deadly dealt with by me and my chosen enforcers for the night".

At this, most of the eyes of the audience drifted towards the stoic figured of Charles, whom most would assumed would be Bran's enforcer. Charles ignored the stares as his Da continued.

"Now, while fights are allowed, they are not until death or serious injury. If any of my enforces believe a fight has come to a stale-mate or if becoming dangerous it will be broken up and you will be sent separate ways. If your fight is broken up you are FORBIDDEN from fighting with that person again tonight. You much instead rely on wits and stealth to beat them.

At what? You question. We have identified some prey in the mountainside with a particular scent- your job is to track the scent, find the prey and bring it to three allocated checkpoints in the area. Strategies are endless- hunt for the prey yourself or wait at the checkpoint to ambush another and steal their prey to claim as your own- this is all allowed. You are also allowed to work alone or in teams as you wish. No maps or hints will be provided- this you will have to work out yourselves. The scent you are following can be found in the centre of the field- Gareth will be wearing orange and holding a towel with the scent you are chasing. Under no circumstances is he to be threatened or the towel stolen from him. You can also choose to bypass this scent and instead try your luck picking out the scent for yourself from all those mother nature provides- it is truly a game of brain versus brawn- choose wisely who you team up with and what method you choose to take as there will be a great prize rewarded to the winner. Similarly, teams and groups of large numbers will have their prize watered down accordingly and the edges of the playing field will be marked by black rope. Let the hunt begin".

As quickly and quietly as Bran began speaking he also disappeared, throwing the mess of wolves into shambles.

Anna sprung into action immediately and headed for what she presumed to be the centre of the playing field. From her time hunting the witch after Asil she knew that the mountains to her left peaked into an unscalable wall while to her right a little further down was a frozen lake that was dangerous to cross. From this she presumed the centre of the playing field would be relatively straight ahead. She left at a bolted run straight ahead and decided to think on her playing strategy while running. She figured she would have a good twenty minutes to find the centre and lay out her game plan in her head- firstly, she would find Gareth and the scent. While some of the more experienced wolves could probably work out a scent trail without it, she was less experienced and would need a definite lead. Then she would use her nose to track- if she couldn't find a scent she would lay low somewhere and try trailing another group to steal the prize from under their nose. Her wolf was excited at all facets of the hunt and she could hardly focus on what she would do next. Almost like clockwork she heard Brother Wolf speak in her head,

_Mate, _he said kindly, though Anna had the suspicion that Charles was unaware Brother Wolf was speaking to them- this was technically cheating and Charles never cheated.

_-focus! You are not listening to your senses. You are my omega wolf, yes, but do not think that makes you invincible from others attack. Pay attention to your surroundings, and let she-wolf show these other pups what she's made of._

Anna noted Brother Wolfs advice and slowed down, she was still running at a fast pace, but at least was more aware of her surroundings. Aware of a thudding sound of a heavy wolf in snow, heading towards her, she dodged in time into a low roll in the snow to avoid a collision from the side from a tawny coloured wolf who had leapt through the air in a defiant attack to slow Anna.

The wolf that attacked had clearly not expected Anna to avoid, but stumbled more or less gracefully to a halt in the snow and turned baring teeth at Anna. That the wolf had not expected Anna to be able to hear them coming told her that they knew who they were attacking as it was common knowledge among the pack that Anna was a new wolf, not yet experienced with her senses.

The wolf that attacked was Leah, Brans mate and Anna's #1 least favourite fan. Anna didn't think Bran would let Leah partake but obviously she had convinced him. And by the predatory hate in her eyes as she paced around Anna, she had other than playful intentions.

Anna drowned out her fear and focused on the dangerous predator in front of her- Charles and Bran wouldn't let anything happen to her she was sure, but Leah was Bran's mate and would be protected if she took the fight a bit further to cause some injury on Anna. So Anna couldn't let that happen. Anna remembered Brother Wolfs confidence in her wolf to show what she was made of and Anna used this confidence to steel herself again Leah. She dropped her jaw menacingly and stepped one paw forwards in threat. Leah hunched backwards and leapt to make an attack on Anna when she was swept to one side by a grey blur.

Leah stumbled with the strange wolf on top of her for a second before growling menacingly back at the stranger- but her fear was evident in her stance. Although Bran had permitted her to partake in the hunt he clearly had put some barriers up to stop her from being able to borrow his power- a tactic she used often. So Leah was truly alone here and Anna for once saw how little dominance she carried on her own. Leah snarled once more but as the grey wolf retaliated with a threatening growl she sprung away, giving one last menacing glance at Anna, a glance that promised revenge.

Anna's relief at the turn of events was short-lived however, as the steel-grey wolf turned and focused his yellow eyes in her direction, hunching low on his front limbs, ready to attack...

I know this story took forever to come out! I got really sidetracked with my homework, but as I am on holidays now I will be updating regularly, and will finish this story before uni starts up again!


	3. Chapter 3

The grey wolf circled her slowly, his large paws leaving prints in the crisp snow. Anna remained still and wary, watching the predator close in around her. A breeze carried the scent of spice, city and cat towards her nose and she knew this wolf had been stalking her, and he was a stranger. A new sense of fear spiked Anna's spine and she opened her bond with Charles;

_Charles- I need your help, there's a stra-_

While Anna was mid-sentence a blur shot out from the trees so blindingly fast that Anna barely had time to register the form of Brother Wolf as he landed big paws on the strangers side and sunk his teeth into his neck with such break-neck speed that Anna was sure he had killed the stranger.

But werewolves are tough and Charles is an experienced hunter, unlikely to kill someone unless he intended to and Anna saw the grey wolf move his limbs weakly but fall still under Charles teeth. Asil came running up after Charles and took in the scene.

"Causing trouble already Anna?" Asil asked her as she looked disparagingly at him. "What has the old boy caught?" He added, cocking his head towards the stranger with mild interest peaking on his refined features, dark eyes glinting.

Anna turned her attention back towards Charles who had dropped the stranger to the snow. The grey wolf stared at the group, making sure not to make eye contact and staying sprawled where Charles had left him. The grey wolf begun to change in front of them on the snow. It took a long time and Asil and Charles waited patiently watching. After about 15 minutes a man with dark curly hair and a bushy beard lay panting, his neck still bleeding but visibly healing quickly.

"I need... the Omega" he panted desperately, clutching at his neck and eyes scanning the trees behind them, as though he were being hunted.

"You need to answer some questions first" Asil said angrily.

"Please! I need help!" the stranger gasped, clearly in desperation. Anna nudged Charles in the side. _I think we should hear him out, he sounds distressed._

_He tried to attack you,_ Brother Wolf growled in response.

_He's looking for me, it hardly sounds like he was trying to attack me, _Anna protested, though she still wasn't sure.

_More likely trying to kidnap you, _Charles stepped in, Brother Wolf still raging at the thought of their mate being attacked.

Anna stood thinking, it didn't make any sense that if another pack were trying to kidnap her that they would interrupt very public game set by the Marrok of all wolves, a game surely to be heavily guarded.

_Just hear him out OK? _Anna cautioned Charles, _I think there's more going on here._

Charles could barely control the rage that shook his body as he examined the wolf that had been so close to his Anna. It had taken every bit of his control to force Brother Wolf into submission to change back into human. His wolf wanted this strange man's blood, sure that Anna wouldn't be safe until this happened. Charles wanted to protect Anna from knowing his monstrous side- how could an omega like Anna ever understand the bloodthirsty nature of the wolf? Plus he knew how important it was to protect Anna's independent spirit, and she was certain there was something amiss. He would be foolish not to trust her judgement, when she had already proved herself much more adept at reading people than Charles, despite her youth.

So he had forced the change and stood grumpily in Samuels office while Sam looked over the restrained wolf, Anna sitting forwards in a metal chair towards the stranger. Sam and Anna talked in low voices to the stranger while Charles tried to suppress sub vocal growls.

"Why did you find it necessary to contact our omega in such a dramatic way? Surely seeing Bran would have been sufficient?" Sam questioned softly, all professional and Doctor-like in his approach, masterfully hiding his dominant energy.

"I can't afford to let Bran- or you! Know what is happening... please, Anna, only you can help me. Bran can't find out." the man directed his attention solely on Anna, his body language dropping all pretence of fight or energy, only looking helpless and desperate.

Asil and Samuel shared a glance- they were both too fragile at the moment to defy Bran if he ordered them to tell him what was going on. It happened, rarely, that a wolf needed help that Bran could not give- that he could not give leniency for. Therefore his sons Samuel and Charles hid it from him to try and rectify the problem without having to kill. If it ever became a fruitless venture they told Bran and he could sort it out swiftly and deadly. Sam and Asil would have to sit this one out, and they both stood and silently left the room. Samuel trailed behind and gripped Charles on the arm before leaving,

"Whatever the problem is- I can't know about it. Do you're best, but promise you will call Bran or myself if the problem can't be fixed" Samuel says.

Charles gives a curt not, but Samuel continues, "I mean it Charles. Anna will convince you to spare them up until it's too late- it's an omegas curse that she thinks she can fix everyone- you know better, you know when to call it." With that Samuel left his office.

No sooner had Samuel left the room than Charles' phone rang,

"Charles. Anna, Asil and you all left the field. Is something wrong?" Brans cool voice spoke to him from his phone,

"Not yet. But I'm not sure it's something you can help with. Ears can overhear by the way" Charles replies, letting his father now Anna and the stranger are in the room.

Bran pauses, silently weighing up his need for knowledge and obedience against his need to protect all the wolves in his pack- even from himself. "Okay. You will call me if you need me?" Bran adds. "Yes" replies Charles. "And Charles..." Bran adds, almost hesitantly, "remember how young Anna is. She still does not fully understand how a wolf can lose control. Make sure you call me before that happens", and with that, echoing Samuels last words almost perfectly, Bran hangs up leaving the three of them alone.

Charles hangs up the phone then stands in front of the door, leaning against it, and nods at Anna.

"Let's start with names, shall we?" says Anna. "You already know my name is Anna, this is my husband Charles... Bran's son" she adds the 'son' part on hesitantly, but the stranger would probably already know who Charles was. The big scary Indian son of the Marrok was well known.

"So that leaves you.." Anna trails off and gives the stranger a hesitant smile encouragingly.

"I'm Chris, from Louisiana."

Charles cast his mind back to the last time he was with the Louisiana pack- their alpha is Liam, an old wolf who was good humoured and kind. Charles had already met this wolf, Chris, before, albeit briefly. He was dominant, but not enough so that he was within the top 5 of the pack. He sat comfortably at the bottom of the dominant pack ranks, unlikely to ever gain power or be in need of protection, but Charles remembered him all the same- he remembered everybody.

"Liam is a good man" Charles says quietly, giving his nod of approval to Chris' alpha, and a question as to why Chris is coming to them for help instead of his alpha.

"Was." says Chris simply, but bows his head and his hands shake. Charles can tell her is trying to gain his composure before raising his head again.

"He's dead- suicide", Chris bites off that last word with bitterness and even Anna, young as she is, can smell the lie in the proclamation.

"You don't think so?" says Anna quietly.

"Lets just say our youngest, newest member had his eye on Liam's position as alpha since he was brought in. Ungrateful little..." at this Chris trailed off, glancing up at Charles and back, "not that there's any proof... and Damien has been a good leader..."

Damien. Damien. Charles closes his eyes again trying to place a face to a name, but can't. Then he remembers a phone call from Liam he received 12 months ago...

_"Hey Boss", says the deep but cheerful voice of Liam on the other side of the line._

_Charles very rarely let anyone call him by anything other than his full name, but knew Liam was too good-hearted to try anything with Charles. Plus, Charles liked him. It wasn't often Charles was immediately comfortable around another wolf, let alone an alpha, but Liam was one of the exceptions to the rule. Charles had learnt to trust his instincts, so let the familiarity sink into his being- a friend, a closeness to another being. It made his soul cry out in hunger for this closeness to another person. It also made Charles feel pathetic to admit he craved to be close to another person. His wolf often admonished him for this weakness- _We are much too scary for this kind of behaviour, _Brother Wolf warns._

_"What's news, Liam?" Charles responded, leaning back into his chair and preparing for an evening of talk about pack, hierarchy and how to get Liam's pack to adhere to his wishes. Charles knew that Liam was very adept at running his pack and didn't require Charles' help. Charles suspects that Liam knew how lonely Charles was. That perhaps Liam even liked him, and that's what kept him on the phone talking to him every month about meaningless things. A fact both Charles and Liam ignored as they delved into complicated talk about finance, pack and mates._

_"When are you going to find yourself another lady?" Liam laughs heartily. "And I don't suggest you keep running after them fae types. How you ever bed that Dana is beyond me Charles. She gave me the heebie-jeebies. You know she'd soon as kill you as sleep with you?"_

_Charles laughed openly, "yes I know that Liam, she was as curious about me as I was about her. That's all it was"._

_Liam says seriously, "but you aren't looking for a mate?"_

_"Does anyone look for a mate? Usually we just find them. I've been here a long while, Liam. I'm not sure I'm meant to find a mate. I go out and kill wolves that get out of line for a living. What kind of mate could I hope to find? One who only wants me for power and status", Charles opens up to Liam as he hasn't to anyone else except his father. Perhaps it's why Liam isn't afraid of him. _

_"There are plenty of wolves who find a mate for logic instead of heart" Liam says, and they both know he is referring to Bran, who found Leah out of necessity rather than love._

_"I am getting too old for fairy tales of love, is that is Liam?"_

_Liam laughs again, which ebbs away at Charles anger. "It's never too late for love, old boy. You just gotta' open up that dusty heart of yours" he says in his southern drawl._

_"Anyway, I just wanted to put it out there that there's a new wolf joining my pack. Damien, last name unknown. He's a stray. Don't know who bit him, or what his last name is. Luckily one of my submissive's found him digging round a dumpster hunting racoon's last moon else he mighta' seriously hurt someone. Any-who my young one called in some backup to haul young Damien off to the cellar in my basement where we found out some more about him once he calmed down some." Liam says._

_"And he doesn't know who he is?" Charles questions suspiciously._

_"Nup. And I believe him, boss. Perhaps he's suppressin' some memory or perhaps its the stress of the change. Hell, his change was so violent coulda' been he bumped his head so hard the memories fell right outta there. Look, do me a favour and tell Bran that Damien is a pack member's cousin who was changed by one of us. I think he's a good kid and I'll be able to reign him in and he'll tell us what's happened soon as he remembers. I'll give ya a call if we can't reign him in"_

_Charles agrees. He knows he shouldn't hide things from Bran, but he trusts Liam and knows he will call it in if he cant control the new pup._

_"Well, you make sure you let us know if you find yourself a lucky lady" Liam ends the conversation, and Charles knows he is grinning._

_"Will do, Liam. Keep me updated on the pup, yeah?" Charles adds, and Liam agrees. They say their goodbyes, and only 6 Months later Charles meets Anna._

__Charles feels a pit form in his stomach- his friend, possibly his only friend, dead because he didn't bother to follow up their conversation. So preoccupied with Anna, he forgot all about Liam and Damien. About his reservations about hiding Damien true identity from Bran And now it has cost Liam. Poor Liam, who was so strong and powerful that he could have never been taken by a new wolf unless he was trying to help him. And now it was too late.

"Do you have any proof that this Damien murdered Liam?" Charles grits through his teeth.

"No." Chris says, shaking his head. "But that isn't even the problem. Liam's daughter... she's 12... she was changed shortly before he died..."

Anna moved her hand to her mouth involuntarily in a gasp and Charles himself was shaken that such a young person survived the change. Let alone a female.

"Why didn't anyone contact us?" Charles asked,

"Because... its Liam's daughter, you know? We practically raised her. And you know what Bran is like and... it's been four months... she still hasn't got control of her wolf yet..."


End file.
